Firestorm in the Heavens
by Zikara
Summary: Lucy and Natsu became best friends during their short time as teammates. Somewhere along the line this friendship turned into something more. Lucy wants to tell the dragonslayer about her feelings, but when a mission goes horrible wrong, her confession is cut short. Natsu sets out to save the celestial mage with a burning feeling in his heart that he struggles to comprehend.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

When Lucy woke up she stayed curled up under the covers, reluctant to get up. She was still amped from her first photo-shoot with the _Weekly Sorcerer _the previous day, and was reliving it with a smile on her face. In her thoughts, the camera was still flashing away as she struck various sexy poses. Lucy pulled the covers up to her face and giggled.

"Lucyyyy, you're making that weird face again…" chimed Happy from somewhere above her head.

"Kyaaaa! You damn cat! This is MY room!" Lucy screamed as she jumped up off her bed and kicked the cat out of her window.

She sat down, fuming. "_Trust Happy to try and ruin my good mood,_" she thought _"and if it's not Happy, it's Natsu. Idiots._"

She flopped on her back and her thoughts trailed back to the beach where the shoot was done. She felt her mood brighten – not even Happy or Natsu's frequent and unwelcome visits to her room could get her down today. She got dressed, summoned Plue and made her way to the guild she loved with all her heart.

"Morning Mira!" Lucy said brightly to the S Class mage behind the counter.

"Oh, hi Lucy!" Mirajane chimed, "You know, a request came in this morning that's right up your alley. You up for a solo mission?". She handed the request form to Lucy.

"Escort Lady Angeline of House Gilbert safely from Magnolia to Hargeon Port. 50 000 Jewel Reward. That's almost a full month's rent just for an escort mission, they must be loaded!" Lucy exclaimed.

Mira laughed, "I thought it would be perfect for you, as you know a bit about how the Houses work. If I send someone else, they'll probably end up embarrassing the whole guild… There is a chance of bandits targeting the girl, but you'll be able to handle it, right?"

Lucy smiled and nodded, "Of course. I'll be fine as long as I have my spirit friends with me." She got up to leave, but then paused for a moment. "Mira, please tell the others where I've gone when they get here. The last time I left a note, they freaked out a bit." she said.

"Will do!" Mira said, and went back to polishing glasses.

_"Natsu even cried back then…_" Lucy thought and shivered. The image of the happy-go-lucky dragonslayer with tears in his eyes bothered her more than she would ever admit to anyone. She put it out of her mind and left the guild in a hurry, eager to finish the mission and collect the much needed rent money.

**OOO**

_BANG!_

Natsu burst into the guild with his usual enthusiasm, Happy right behind him. He walked straight to the table where Lucy and Levy always sat, which was now empty. He looked around, sniffed the air a few times, and sat down looking thoroughly crestfallen. Gray, who was watching him since he entered the guild, took his chance to escape from Juvia and headed over to the dragonslayer. He secretly considered Natsu as a brother, and thought a good fight would bring him back to his usual self.

"What's with the frown, Flamebrain?" he said, crossing his arms and smirking.

Natsu looked up, immediately irritated. He had picked out a mission to go on with Lucy and Happy, but she was late. Not to mention that she didn't even pitch up yesterday. Now Gray was in front of him, stinking up the area. "Move it, Droopy Eyes!" he shouted.

"What? You wanna go Ashface?! Or are you scared?" Gray tempted.

"Put on your pants first, you pervert!" Natsu screamed while he threw a punch at the ice mage.

Gray looked down and found, to his surprise, that he was once again only in his underpants. When he looked back up he had just enough time to see Natsu's fist inches from his face, about to hit.

"_Distraction successful_" he thought.

With Fairy Tail being such a rowdy bunch, a full scale fight was soon in progress, with mugs, chairs and tables flying everywhere. A few of the girls tried to stop it in vain. It was only when Erza arrived that the guild quieted down. It took only one look from Erza to turn even Natsu and Gray into cowering statues.

"Mira, where is Lucy?" Erza asked. The moment she said "Lucy" Natsu was there, followed by Gray.

"Oh, yes!" Mira exclaimed, "I almost forgot. She's on a short escort mission I picked out for her today. She should come by later."

"Aah that's too bad. I brought her a copy of the _Weekly Sorcerer_. They printed it this morning already" said Erza.

"What's so special about it that you had to bring it to her?" asked Natsu sulkily. He was angry that Lucy left without him. "_We are supposed to be partners!_" he thought.

"Did you forget, Natsu? It was Lucy's first photo-shoot yesterday! You're in the same team, you should show your support." Erza said sternly.

"Well let's see how she looks," Gray said, earning a few feverish nods from Macao, Wakaba and the few others that crowded behind Erza the moment they heard about the shoot.

Erza paged to Lucy's interview and within a few seconds of the magazine being passed around, the only noses that weren't bleeding were those of Mira, Erza, Gray and Natsu. Strangely, the dragonslayer was turning redder by the second. Finally he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Oi, give me that, you perverts!" he yelled, snatching the magazine from Nab's hands, "Stop drooling over pictures of my partner or I'll blow you out of the sky!"

He was starting to burn up, and the magazine was just about to alight, when he turned around and stalked out of the guildhall. Those that were shocked at his outcry, now had knowing smiles on there faces, having realized the reason behind his actions – Natsu had a thing for Lucy!

**OOO**

That night, Lucy sat at her desk and wrote to her late mother. She was feeling smug at the guild's reaction to her photo-shoot. When she came back from her mission, they had greeted her with great enthusiasm (especially the men). Her initial embarrassment soon faded, because of all the compliments she received. Levy, one of her best friends, was congratulating her on the interview she gave, Wendy was blushing furiously while asking for tips and even Juvia said she looked good. Her heart panged a bit when she thought about Natsu. She was looking forward to telling her partner about her mission and the photo-shoot, but he didn't turn up. Usually, he would always listen to her stories. Even with his denseness and rash temper, he was still the best partner she could ask for. He always went out of his way to protect her. He was her best friend…

"_Friend… not boyfriend,_"she thought yearningly, "_Oh, get a grip, Lucy Heartfilia! Why am I worrying about that idiot? He wouldn't understand anyway and it's not like he finds me attractive. I would just about have to be naked for him to notice, and even that might not work… Wait… What…? What did I just think…?!_"

"Kyaaaaa!" Lucy squealed, blushing. Her thoughts were becoming a little too dangerous for her liking, and she got into bed, hoping a good night's sleep would get her mind in order.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, Natsu was sitting on her windowsill, watching her. He had seen all the emotions pass on her face as she wrote: happiness, sadness, anger and then shock. She had blushed a beautiful rosy colour and jumped straight into bed without noticing Natsu. When her face was sad, he had to resist the urge to jump in and hug her. Oh, how he wanted to know what she was thinking.

"_I missed you today Luce… and I was worried about you. And then those idiots were drooling over your pictures… I just couldn't take it._" he thought.

His mind trailed to the pictures in question, seeing her beautiful smile and her hot body… A blush crept to his face as he realized what he was imagining.

"_What is happening to me? Lucy is my partner, why do I feel like this?_" His thoughts were all jumbled.

He took one last look at the sleeping celestial mage and jumped from her window, feeling confused, but also elated. He would figure this out later, for now he needed to find Happy and rest up for tomorrow's mission.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:  
I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1 of my very first fanfic, please feel free to send me your reviews and ideas.  
Chapter 3 might take a few days to finish, but I will get it done ASAP. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 2**

The next day Lucy was sitting with Levy, Lisanna, Happy, Wendy and Charle, laughing at Elfman, who was being scolded by Evergreen. Everybody in the guild knew they were into each other, even though they didn't seem to realize it themselves. Happy was offering Charle a fish shyly, and she refused for the umpteenth time. When Natsu arrived, he spotted Lucy and was about to dash to her when Macao and Wakaba had there arms around him, holding him back and smirking.

"Gonna hang out with your girlfriend today, Natsu?" They asked. "We saw you blushing over those pictures of her yesterday."

Lucy looked up when she heard this, "_Natsu? A girlfriend?_"

"Girlfriend? No, I'm going on a mission with Lucy today!" Natsu said, blushing once again as he imagined Lucy's pictures that were now hidden under his bed.

"_What?! When did this happen?_" Lucy thought, trying to hide the shock from her face, "_Look at him blush… That must be why he didn't pitch yesterday…_" Her heart was starting to ache and she wanted to escape to her room. "_Serves you right for thinking of Natsu romantically, I told you he doesn't find you attractive._" a little voice in her head piped up.

"LUCY!" Natsu said as he draped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her back to reality, "Hurry up, we gotta go on a mission today!"

"A mission? With me?" Lucy said quietly, not daring to look him in the eyes, "Are you sure that's alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Natsu said cheerfully, as he dragged her up out of the chair and started running toward the doors.

"Wait, Natsu!" Lucy was out of breath already, "What about the girl? You know? The one you were with yesterday?"

"Huh…?" Natsu's face was a blank canvas.

"Macao and Wakaba were just talking about it… you were blushing over a girl?" Lucy's face was flushed and downcast.

"Another girl? Don't be silly, Luce, those were your pictures I was looking at." Natsu said happily, wondering why Lucy was staring at him with such a strange expression. Then he realized what he had said, and his whole body heated up. He turned around and started walking straight ahead, trying to shake off the odd feeling while pulling Lucy along, not realizing that she herself was sporting a very severe blush.

"_So it was me, huh?_" Lucy thought. Suddenly, her day seemed much more fun…

The guild was watching this exchange – quietly for once – but an uproar of cat whistles and giggles swept through the hall the moment Lucy and Natsu disappeared through the doors.

"They llllllllike each other!" Happy exclaimed gleefully, rolling his tongue over the "l". He was already thinking of things he could say to embarrass the two of them when they got back.

"Do you think Natsu even realizes he likes her? I mean, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed." Macao said to Wakaba.

**OOO**

Natsu and Lucy were on the train to Marigold Town to deal with a group of bandits that were harassing the townspeople and nearby farmers. Natsu was lying across Lucy's lap, incapacitated by his motion sickness. Lucy had stroked his hair until he fell asleep. She was watching him with a dreamy expression on her face, imagining them holding hands and laughing while walking down a sunlit path. If Happy could see her now, he would probably have commented on her expression, earning a deadly look or a kick from the blonde. Luckily for her, he was running errands for Charle. When it came to the white exceed, Happy's personality underwent a dramatic change from joking and thoughtless, to doting and polite.

"_It's nice having a bit of alone time with Natsu. Maybe if things go well, I could talk to him… tell him how I feel,_" she thought.

She had sensed her feelings for Natsu grow during the last months, but was afraid to act, scared that she would ruin their friendship. It was always so damn hard to tell what was going on in his mind. Her hopes had risen today when she heard about his reaction to her pictures and saw his blush. If her intuition was right, and it usually was, he liked her more than he was letting on. And she knew all too well that he was very stubborn, but maybe her confession would coax it out of him. She blushed and squirmed at the thought. In her mind, a plan was already forming, intending to impress him before she made her feelings known.

"_I'll do my best today and catch those bandits before Natsu can take over the show!_" She let her imagination go, smiling to herself as they got nearer to their destination.

Later, Natsu awoke with a wonderful and familiar smell. He felt warm and happy and relaxed, certainly a first for him during a train ride.

"_Why is that…?_" he thought sleepily and snuggled deeper into – "_Lucy's lap?!_ _Wow, I never knew it was so soft… and comfortable. I'll have to tell her to let me sleep on her lap more often._"

He sat up, planning to do just that, but just as he opened his mouth, the motion sickness tackled him again. Lucy noticed him getting up and was looking at him expectantly. Her gaze turned to a sympathetic one as he turned a nasty shade of green.

"Oh nooooo," he moaned.

"Hang in there, ok? We're almo–" she cut off short as the train stopped abruptly, "See! That wasn't so bad, was it? You slept the whole way here."

Lucy smiled at him fondly while they got off the train, failing to notice the drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. She had enjoyed the trip so much, she was almost sad they had to get up. Almost. She was excited and looked forward to the mission for once. Usually, with the rest of the team along, she was too busy trying to not anger Erza, or get in between Natsu and Gray's continuous and violent fights.

"Come on, Natsu! Let's get this over with. I'm all fired up!" Lucy said, winking at Natsu during the last bit, and marching toward the town.

"Aye!" Natsu mimicked Happy.

A flame had lit in his stomach when Lucy said his catchphrase, and it was warming him up pleasantly – he felt invincible. He gave a short laugh and ran after the girl who was making him feel this way, with a big goofy smile on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:  
I had much more time on my hands today than I planned, so here is Chapter 3 already! I would have loved to add in more cute/funny misunderstandings, as they really add that romantic element to the story, but the time for the mission has come, and things have to get serious sometime don't they?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 3**

Lucy and Natsu crouched behind a low wall in Marigold Town, watching the bandits' headquarters after they successfully tailed a member – a very mean-looking man. Natsu, the hothead, had tried to jump him straight away, but Lucy intervened, holding him down until she could explain that the bandit would lead them the others, saving them a considerable amount of time and effort.

"Ehhh?" Natsu whispered, "Well, what do you know. There they are, just like you said. You're such a nerd Lucy."

Lucy pouted, "_A nerd? I just used my common sense and he calls me a nerd?! Seriously, WHY do I like you so much when you're always a jerk, Natsu?_"

She looked away, not wanting him to see the silly, irrational tears that were forming in her eyes, but she wasn't quick enough.

"_Oops,_" Natsu thought, a surprising amount of understanding dawning on him, "_probably shouldn't have said 'nerd', girls are touchy about that…_"

Don't be sad Luce, you had such a clever plan, you should be happy," he said, while wiping a tear off her cheek with his thumb, making him tingle where it touched him, "If it wasn't for you, I would've taken ages to find these idiots."

Her face brightened, and she pushed her previous thought out of her mind, scolding herself for thinking it, "_You're not good with words, but you always mean well. That's why I love you. Not just like anymore. Love. Just you wait, Natsu, I'll sweep you off your feet for a change._"

Natsu watch the girl think, seeing the plan forming in her eyes. He had always admired her ability to plan ahead, as he himself normally just went for a smash-and-grab approach. Strangely, he had found himself thinking a lot lately. Something Igneel had told him long ago was nagging at him, and he was sure it was connected to the flame Lucy had sparked in him, but he just could not remember what it was. Lucy interrupted his thoughts by telling him her plan in a hushed voice.

"Okay, listen well, Natsu. According to the request there are only about fifteen of them, but no info on whether they are mages or not. Still, we can't afford to fight them here in town, otherwise we'll end up losing our entire reward on damage compensation."

Natsu smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"So," she continued, "we need to get them away from here. I think that should be my job, together with Virgo and Aries. These guys look like right old perverts, so we'll use our sex appeal to distract them and lead them off. If that doesn't work, I'll have Virgo steal something of theirs so that they chase us. Once we're clear of the town, we can attack without holding back."

He was frowning, the attack part of the plan sounded good, but he really didn't like the idea of Lucy flirting with the bandits. His blood boiled just thinking about them getting close to her. He looked up at her, about to voice his complaint.

"_She looks so amped, maybe I should let it go_," he thought, "_Erza always asks Lucy to do this on missions, so she's got the experience._"

He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress his jealousy, and nodded at Lucy to let her know he understood the plan.

**OOO**

Lucy had sent Natsu ahead to the rendezvous point. She was feeling very confident, even without her partner to back her up.

"Open the Gate of the Maiden, Virgo! Open the Gate of the Ram, Aries!"

Lucy felt a significant amount of her power drop, but smiled as she realized it was much less than usual – she was getting used to opening two Zodiac gates at once.

"Ok girls, you know what to do!"

"Yes, princess!" Virgo said, and transformed into a cute summer dress, while conjuring a very revealing one for Lucy.

"I-I'm sorry?" Aries said shyly, looking adorable in a pink skirt and white blouse.

They set off toward the bandits' headquarters, walking slowly and giggling loudly as they neared it, drawing the attention of the sentries at the entrance. The three girls walked straight to them, and stood pouting slightly and twirling their hair.

"Aah! You two look sooooo strong!" Lucy said, cringing inwardly at their hungry expressions, "We are so tired, we've just move to Marigold Town today. There's still a ton of stuff we need to bring from out of town. You couldn't help us, could you? Pretty pleeeeease?!" Virgo and Aries nodded in agreement.

Her exclamation had drawn the rest of the bandits out of the building and they looked at the girls greedily.

"Oh! You have so many friends? With you all to help it will go so much quicker! What do you say? We'll give you a reward if you do…" Lucy trailed off suggestively, winking.

"Of course we'll help you, young ladies!" They exclaimed, trailing behind Lucy, Aries and Virgo like puppies.

"_These guys must be really dense_," Lucy's eyebrows were raised, she was surprised that it had worked so extremely well. At the same time she was disgusted to have flaunted herself in front of those morons. She was glad Natsu wasn't there to witness it, she did not want him getting the wrong idea about her right before she was about to confess to him.

**OOO**

Natsu was seething with anger as he ran off to the rendezvous point. He secretly stayed behind to make sure Lucy was okay, and it had taken all of his self-control to not jump out and knock those guys out cold. According to him, they had no right to look at Lucy in that perverted way.

"_What was up with Lucy? Was it really necessary to throw all of those suggestive looks at them? She had me the moment she said 'Aah!' and twirled her hair._" Natsu thought angrily, and then blushed for the umpteenth time that week.

The fire in his body crackled, and he used it to fuel his speed as he ran. He reached the edge of town in mere seconds, and stopped some ways out of town to climb into a tree from which he could ambush the bandits. He sat down on a branch and leaned against the tree's trunk. It would be a while until they arrived, so he could afford to relax a bit.

**OOO**

"It's just up ahead!" Lucy chimed, batting her eyelids at the bandits that were still following them.

The group were steadily approaching the trees and Lucy knew they were starting to get suspicious. She hoped Natsu was watching, not because she felt threatened, but because she wanted to show off.

"Oi, girly! Where are you taking us, hmm? You better not be pullin' some kinda stunt!"

Lucy took this as her cue to attack and waved two keys to send Virgo and Aries back. She had the perfect plan and she had repeated it in her head all the way here so she wouldn't forget.

"_Scatter them with Taurus, blind them with Scorpio, target them with Sagittarius and finish them with Loke._"

"Open the Gate of the Bull, Taurus!"

"Mooooooo! Your body looks extra hot today Lucy-sama!" Taurus yelled as he charged into the stunned group of bandits swinging his axe, causing them to scatter with yelps of surprise.

"Return! Open the Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!"

"We are!" Scorpio said and took his battle stance, "Sandbuster!"

The bandits were encased in a dust cloud, all clawing at their eyes which were stinging and blinded from the sand.

"Good job Scorpio, return! Open the Gate of the Archer, Sagittarius!"

"Mmmmmmoshi moshi! Where should I aim, Lucy-sama?" The spirit in the horse mask asked politely.

"Pin them to the ground if you can!" Lucy shouted over the angry yells of the bandits, "I'll get Loke to finish them off!"

Sagittarius released his arrows into the cloud just as a dark energy stream lashed out and struck him, sending him back to the spirit world. Lucy jumped back, shocked. She recovered quickly, as she had known there was a possibility the group would have mages, and took her whip, Fleuve d'etoiles, from her belt. The next moment, a gust of wind swept through the dust, lifting it to reveal that all the bandits were on the ground, except for one who was giving off a very dangerous aura.

"Open the Gate of the Lion, Loke!" she yelled.

She was getting a bit worried now, and wondered what was keeping Natsu. She knew that the time for showing off was over. She had done enough on her own.

"Loke! I need you t–" she started.

"I know, beautiful," Loke said with a smile, "Regulus, grant me your power!"

The whole area was illuminated by a bright light. Lucy lashed out with her whip, thinking that the man should be blinded, but she was dead wrong. He was already charging at her, sending out bolts of energy (similar to Mirajane's Demon Takeover magic) at her. She dodged all the bolts with the impressive speed that she built up through months of hard work. Unfortunately, the man was even faster and would reach her soon.

"Regulus Impact!" Loke screamed sending a huge flaming lion at the bandit.

"_Yes!_" Lucy thought.

Her joy was soon snuffed as the man blocked the blow with his own energy, demolishing Loke in the process. He disappeared from the spot. Lucy looked around anxiously, starting to panic. Suddenly he was right in front of her, his dark eyes full of menace as he pulled back his fist and drew energy. She stood rooted to the spot with terror, watching it all in slow motion. Only one thought went through her mind, and she screamed out, hoping it would save her.

"NATSUUUUU!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 4**

This was it, she, Lucy Heartfilia, was going to die.

"NATSUUUUU!"

A huge shockwave rocked her body and the blast deafened her. Strangely, it did not hurt – she felt feather light and pleasantly warm, so she fell into death's arms gratefully.

**OOO**

Natsu was getting agitated up in his tree. He, being unquestionably impatient, felt that the group should have arrived already. A breeze drifted through the trees and his shoulders stiffened. An unpleasant smell was making his hairs stand on end and he got up warily. A man in a dark cloak jumped out behind a bush and immediately started attacking Natsu violently. He was firing dark bolts of energy with killer intent.

"Oi! What's your problem, bastard?!" Natsu yelled, immediately marking the man as a dark mage.

The frustration that had built up in Natsu finally made him crack and he flew at the man, ready to unleash the dragon in him. They exchanged physical blows with blinding speed, each using his own magic to power them up. The man seemed to fade for a second, like an image, and Natsu used his chance to fire a point-blank attack.

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

It hit the mage square in the chest and he disappeared in a puff of smoke. It took Natsu a moment to work out what had happened.

"A clone?" he thought surprised.

A clone could mean only one thing, a distraction. His expression turned into one of horror. The only thing he could distract Natsu from was his partner, Lucy. He heard bangs and shouts coming from the town's direction, and he took off immediately, leaving only dust in his wake. His sharp eyes spotted the battle scene within seconds. For a few moments he felt only pride. Lucy was going all out, sending in her spirits one after the other and soon all the bandits were floored, except one. His heart sank – it was the dark mage whose clone he had just defeated. Natsu poured on the speed, running faster than he ever had before. By the looks of it the original was much stronger than the clone. He was overpowering Lucy steadily. Natsu looked on in horror as the mage appeared in front of her, about to launch a deadly strike.

She screamed his name and he felt the fire in his body burst, consuming his every thought. He would not let her die. It took him only a split second to reach her, scoop her into his arms and jump away from the blow. He roared as he jumped, causing the entire area to explode with flames.

**OOO**

As far as Lucy was concerned she could be in heaven, so she kept her eyes closed, savouring death's unexpected and familiar warmth before she tried to venture into the afterlife. She felt a pang of annoyance as someone shook her shoulders.

"_This is supposed to be heaven,_" she thought, _why can't they let me rest for a while? I just died for goodness sake, I deserve a bit of peace!_"

She heard a faint murmuring, and someone shook her shoulders again.

"Lucy… are you okay? Luce?" someone said and she swore she heard a growl.

It sounded very far away and she strained her ears.

"Lucy? It's me, Natsu, I'm here now! I won't let that bastard get you!"

Lucy's eyes snapped open and she heard Natsu exhale a sigh of relief. She looked around and found herself clutched tightly in his arms. He was running from a huge explosion pluming from where she had stood just moments ago.

"Holy cow!" she exclaimed, hugging Natsu tightly.

"Luce," Natsu's eyes were sad as he put her down carefully, "I'm so sorry I was late. I almost got you killed!"

"Don't be silly Natsu," she said, "you just saved my life."

Without thinking, she lifted her chin and kissed him on his cheek. They didn't have time to process what happened, because the dark mage was on their heels once again, shooting bolts.

"Oh, so sorry," the man sneered sarcastically, "did I interrupt you, lovebirds?"

His hood fell back, revealing a black emblem across his face.

"Grimoire Heart?!" Natsu and Lucy said together.

The man gave a short laugh and addressed them again, "Forgot what my master did to you, have you, fairy fails?

Natsu growled, he was itching to kick this guy's butt, but he stayed back. This man was radiating incredible power and he didn't want to leave his exhausted partner exposed. His own power was very depleted from his desperation to get to Lucy and the huge explosion he created.

"Well this is definitely an unexpected bonus," the man said, "I was using the local bandits to find something for me, but I didn't expect two fairies to fall into my lap. But there you were, plotting behind a wall in sight of their headquarters. I just couldn't let this opportunity slip! The master is going to love this, especially you, spirit girl, celestial mages are fun to play with." He licked his lips.

Lucy wasn't about to let that happen, "Open the Gate of the Goat, Capricorn! Let's go, Natsu, Capricorn!"

The battle that ensued was violent and fast-paced, both sides landing hits on the opposition. For a few moments, they thought they had it in the bag, the Grimoire Heart mage was falling back and ceased to attack. It wasn't until it was too late, that they realized that he was really saving up power. An enormous black blast rocketed toward them and Capricorn jumped to shield Lucy, but Natsu got blasted straight off his feet and fell a long way back, bashing his head painfully against rocks and trees. When the smoke cleared, Lucy and the dark mage were still on their feet, both breathing heavily. Lucy looked back at Natsu's stunned and bleeding body and steeled herself, if she did not defeat this mage right here, he would torture Natsu. She would fight, even if it meant endangering herself by depleting her magic power.

"Open the Gate of the twins, Gemini!"

The dark mage was frowning, the girl suddenly had a duplicate, and they were mumbling something he couldn't hear, and starting to glow faintly.

"Urano Metria!"

The mage saw planets and stars spinning around him, a ray of light was coming down from the heavens and he couldn't even block. He was illuminated and everything went quiet, his mouth open in a silent scream. He fell, petrified and barely clinging to consciousness. Lucy limped over to Natsu and dropped to her knees, thoroughly exhausted.

"I b-beat him, Natsu," she whispered, unable to speak louder.

Natsu smiled at her even though he was still stunned and bleeding heavily from a head wound, "You were awesome, Luce. Just wait till I tell Happy, he'll be so shocked his eyes will pop out.

She laughed, and then clutched her ribs. She wouldn't be surprised if a few of them had cracked, they were throbbing painfully.

"N-Natsu… I have to tell you something."

Natsu saw her face was serious and flushed now, and his heart fluttered, and his cheek glowed where she had kissed him earlier.

"You can tell me anything, Luce."

"You're my partner," she said, her voice steadying, "and my best friend. You always look out for me and you make me laugh when I am sad. I love the way you and Happy break into my room at any time of the day, just to say hello. I love chasing you from my apartment and watching the gleeful look on your face as you run. I love the way my bed smells when you were sleeping in it. It smells like home..."

Natsu stared at her, "_I always thought she got seriously mad, but she loves it?_"

"Lately when I look at you, my heart beats faster. I can't get you out of my head. I just wanted to impress you today and show you I'm worthy of being your partner. I never want to lose you," her voice was getting hoarser and it felt like she had been talking for minutes on end.

"Lucy, you already impress me. You're clever and strong and beautiful," he blushed at the last word, "Why are you trying so hard?"

"Because I don't want you to reject me," she met his eyes resolutely and put her hand on his heart, "Natsu, I lo–"

She broke off, her eyes fearful as she looked down. Natsu followed her gaze and saw a hand wrapped around her ankle.

"Lucy, NO!" Natsu screamed.

His partner disappeared, with only a few sparkles left in her wake. A letter materialized between the sparkles, and he reached out and took it, finally snapping out of his petrified state. His anxiety grew with every line he read.

_Find the Kinsenka Pendant  
Return it to this spot within five days  
If not, the girl dies_

Tears formed in his eyes and all he saw was his partner's fearful expression as she disappeared.

"_Lucy…_"

Suddenly, everything made sense. He remembered what his dragon father Igneel had told him years ago.

"_The only thing that can burn hotter than fire, is love._"

And Natsu was burning, his every thought consumed by a firestorm revolving around a single point in his mind,

The one he loved,

His star in the heavens,

His celestial mage partner,

His Lucy.

**Remarks:  
Credit to Arion738 for the dark-mage-using-bandits idea.  
Explanation of Kinsenka Pendant in next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:  
The original plan was to let Natsu rescue Lucy on his own, but Fairy Tail aren't exactly known for their patience. But no worries – main focus of later chapters is still NaLu.  
My paragraph breakers for all previous chapters disappeared during uploads and I only realised it now, Sorry 'bout that.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 5**

It was nearly midnight and the guild was almost empty. Erza, Gray, Levy, Wendy, Charle, Mirajane, Lisanna and Happy were among the few left. They were all anxiously waiting for Natsu and Lucy to return. Their mission should not have taken so long to complete, and it was unusual for them to be late. Happy had been flying between Natsu's house, Lucy's house and the guild since nightfall before settling onto a table, looking gloomy and staring at a fish without really seeing it. If it weren't for the foreboding feeling they all sensed, they would have still been laughing and taking bets as to what Natsu and Lucy were up to, like they did that afternoon.

Finally, Gray could not hold it anymore, "Enough of this moping around!" he yelled, "I won't just sit here and watch the minutes go by. Flamebrain may be an idiot, but he wouldn't be this late unless they got caught up in something serious."

"I agree with you, Gray," Erza said calmly, "but we have to approach this carefully. So sit down and listen… and put some clothes on, will you?"

Gray obeyed and Erza started giving out orders as the clear and undisputed leader.

"Gray and I will form the main assault team in case of combat," she stated simply, "Wendy, I will need you to come along as well. Your healing might be necessary, and your sense of smell will be of great help. Charle and Happy can assist you. Lisanna and Levy, please locate Cana and bring her back to the guild, she will be able to contact us in an emergency. Mira, you find Master and inform him about our situation."

"Uhm, Erza?" everyone turned to Levy as she spoke, "I want to go with you. Lucy is one of my best friends. I cannot bear sitting here and waiting for you guys to find them."

Everyone held their breath, scared that she might lash out at anyone who disobeys her. Erza thought about it for a moment and then simply nodded her approval at Levy.

"Well in that case, we're going as well," a deep, rough voice said from somewhere in the shadows.

It turned out to be Gajeel, who was skulking behind a pillar with his exceed partner, Panther Lily."

"Don't try to contest it, Erza," he said defiantly, "I will back the shrimp up in battle, and Lily can protect the healing team. Besides, an extra nose won't hurt."

Erza's lip twitched, "I commend your desire to protect Levy. I trust you'll be a good asset."

With that, they all moved out swiftly, all of their faces set in determination and two of them sporting blushes.

**OOO**

The Fairy Tail rescue team reached Marigold Town in record time, having borrowed a large magic-powered four-wheeler from a merchant. He had uttered a distressed squeak when Erza asked him and she assumed it was a yes, unaware of the fright she was giving him. Then again, she would not have taken "no" for an answer anyway… Gajeel and Wendy were out on point, following the now faint trace left by their teammates earlier that day. Happy, Lily and Charle were scouting from the sky and the rest followed silently.

They travelled straight through the town, pausing a few moments at a deserted dark building where the scent was stronger. They concluded it must be the headquarters of the bandits Lucy and Natsu came to remove. Lucy and Natsu's scents split from that point on, but were still headed in the same direction and they were getting stronger. The rescue team sped up, knowing they were close.

It was Happy who spotted Natsu first. He was limping toward the town at a painfully slow rate. Wendy gasped as she saw him and ran forward immediately, flanked by Gray and Erza. He was covered in dirt, ash and blood and his eyes were blank and staring.

"NATSU!" Happy yelled, and flew straight at him.

"Natsu-san? Can you hear me? Natsu-san" Wendy cried.

"Have to… save… Lucy…" he rasped, "Kinsenka…"

"Kinsenka?" Erza asked, "Natsu, what's that?"

He didn't respond and just kept trying to push forward. Wendy was forced to put him to sleep with her magic.

"I'm sorry, Natsu-san," she said sadly, immediately starting the healing process.

Erza was frowning down at Natsu's hand. She reached down and pried it open. A piece of paper fell to the ground and she quickly picked it up and unfolded it. Her eyes widened in shock. Levy took it from her and read it out loud for the rest.

"So, whoever left this note has Lucy," Gray stated, grinding his teeth.

"They must be very powerful, to have beaten Natsu like this," Erza said, "I'd wager it would be easier to try and find this Kinsenka Pendant, than to search for the mage responsible."

"That might be true," Gajeel said slowly, "but we can't just assume that they will honour their agreement, even if we present the Pendant on time."

Erza scowled, but nodded in agreement, "Let's set up camp for the night. It's no use trying to sort out this mess before Natsu can give us more information."

**OOO**

Natsu woke up with a jolt and sat up straight.

"Lucy!" he exclaimed.

"Good morning, Natsu-san. How are you feeling?" Wendy asked with a concerned expression.

His heart sank. It was not just a nightmare as he had hoped… she was gone, and it was his fault. He looked up sadly and saw a group of familiar faces watching him carefully. Happy, Erza, Gray, Levy, Wendy, Charle and even Gajeel and Lily were all there. Erza spoke before he had a chance to say anything more.

"I know how you must be feeling, Natsu, but we cannot wait any longer. We need to know exactly what happened here so that we can save Lucy."

Happy flew into his lap. Natsu nodded gravely and recounted the entire tale, except for the intimate moments that he and Lucy had shared. Those were too painful and personal to share. He was shaking in anger by the end of it, and tears were spilling down his cheeks, shocking all who were present. It was Levy who eventually broke the silence.

"I will find this Kinsenka Pendant to save Lucy. It must be in or around the town somewhere, it can't be coincidence that the town and the item share a name."

"What do you mean by that?" Gray asked the script mage.

"Marigold is the English name for the Kinsenka flower. These days it is associated with positive attributes like passion and creativity, but according to history books I read, it originally symbolised grief, cruelty and jealousy," she shuddered.

"The latter sound like a perfect description of a dark item…" Erza mused.

Levy nodded, "I will look it up. This town has lots of libraries and museums. I should be able to find the necessary info using my speed glasses."

"I will come with you," Natsu said, "I'm not good with books and stuff, but the task was set to me. I have to do this for Lucy."

"Can you even read, Natsu?" Happy asked, earning a glare from Natsu.

"For Lucy, I can do anything," he said.

No one doubted him after that. They split up into teams. With the script expert Levy looking for the pendant, Erza deemed it unnecessary for the rest to try and help her. She knew they would be of more help scouting the area around town, looking for the dark mage's hideout. She had wanted to contest Natsu's decision to go with Levy, as his nose was most likely to pick up Lucy's scent, but she let him go when she saw how determined he was.

"_I'm coming for you, Luce,_" Natsu thought as he, Happy and Levy hurried toward Marigold Town, "_Hold on._"

**OOO**

Lucy was cold, hungry and in a great deal of pain. She felt like she had been unconscious for ages, her throat was parched. She blinked in the darkness, trying to see where she was being held, but to no avail. All she knew was that it was damp and ragged, like the inside of a cave or an underground tunnel. Normally, this would have terrified her, but she was too tired and hurt to care. She thought only of Natsu, hoping and praying that he was okay.

A flash of light to her left caught her attention and she had just enough time to see a glass and a plate with food being shoved into her cell before it went dark. She crawled over and felt for the food. She did not care what it was, as long as it kept her alive long enough to see Natsu again, so she scarfed it all down, relieved as it filled the empty spot in her stomach.

She felt around her waist and sighed. They had taken her whip and her keys. She knew the cell must be enchanted as well, otherwise Virgo would have come through the gate with her own power. Loke might have been able to break the enchantment, but he was probably still recovering. So, for now, Lucy would wait.

A while later the light suddenly went on, blinding her. She heard someone walk toward her and they picked her up by her arms.

"Time to play, little girly," she heard the dark mage say, "we need some information on your fairy friends…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:  
Sorry for the delay, took a day off yesterday :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 6**

Natsu had surprised Levy by leading her straight to an ancient cathedral in town, where the priest in charge showed her their archive room which was stacked full of ancient books and scrolls. When she enquired about how he knew it was there, he simply replied that it smelt of old magic. Natsu himself did not really understand his actions, they came to him instinctively. The priest was very helpful, telling her all he knew about the fabled pendant.

After a few hours of searching, Levy sat backed and stretched, staring thoughtfully at the formidable stack of books in front of her. Happy, being able to carry unnaturally heavy weights, had acted as her assistant. She established that the Kinsenka Pendant is a dark magic item that greatly enhances the user's resourcefulness, ingenuity and magical power by tapping the happiness and energy from the user's victims. Legends told of a very bloody history: the user's would gain popularity and wealth quickly, but the draining of others' happiness bred hate, jealousy and greed. It was therefore not surprising that the pendant was mostly passed from owner to owner via murder and theft.

The last recorded owner was sir Warwick du Pont who claimed that the pendant was stolen from his neck during his sleep, although much suspicion followed his statement. He had only died twenty years previously, but he had estates littered throughout and around Marigold Town, still under management of his children.

Levy nodded to herself. "_That must be why that mage Natsu told us about was using the bandits in town. He figured it was still on one of their properties_."

She peered around the books at Natsu. He was standing up straight, ready to jump at a moment's notice. It just showed how much Natsu cared for Lucy. Normally he would have fallen asleep after a half hour of waiting.

"Come on, Natsu," Levy said as she stood up, "I have found out as much as I can from this place. Let's go find the others and eat something, okay? It won't help us save Lucy if we pass out from exhaustion."

She added the last bit to calm his nerves. She didn't want the impatient dragon slayer to lose his cool in a room filled with precious relics that were also, unfortunately, highly flammable.

**OOO**

Levy, Happy and Natsu met up with the others just as they got word from the master via a lacrima Erza had brought from the guild. After Levy explained what it was, he informed them gravely that when they found it, they should not hand it over to Grimoire Heart under any circumstances. Such an item in the hands of Zeref would lead to utter chaos. Natsu was on his feet instantly, cursing and yelling, and almost destroyed the lacrima out of anger before Erza got him under control.

"Natsu, did you really think I meant give up on Lucy?" Makarov said slowly, "use your brain for once, child. You are part of Fairy Tail! Fake the exchange. Lead him into a trap and get the bastard to spit out where he's holding her."

"Why even search for it, then?" Gajeel asked.

"To keep it from Grimoire Heart," Charle said suddenly, "Once they realize we fooled them with a fake, they will surely redouble their efforts to find it. Also, I'm sure we are being watched to ensure we truly do find it. Grimoire aren't fools."

Makarov nodded, "Search the du Pont estates. With force if necessary, I will clear any mishaps with the council. Cana is searching for Lucy's location. We will contact you as soon as she finds anything."

**OOO**

Anyone walking into the cell would not have recognized the crumpled heap in the corner as a person. Lucy stirred feebly as she heard her jailor put down a plate of food at the door. She barely had enough energy to lift her head, but she gritted her teeth and pushed herself on to all fours, crawling toward it.

She had been tortured twice daily for the last few days. It had started with a man in a hooded cloak sending dark magic pulses through her body to shock her, but after that had proven inefficient he had taken to whipping her. No matter how much she bled or how much it hurt, she would not sell out her friends. The only thing he heard were her screams, growing weaker and weaker as the sessions would go on.

As she was moving toward the food, she overheard a whispered conversation from outside her door that flooded her with mixed feelings of hope and dread. The Salamander, a fire dragon slayer, and his companions were snooping around town looking for an item they would exchange for Lucy's freedom. The guards had expressed mild concerns about their presence, but laughed at the exchange.

"As if HE would give her back," she heard one whisper, "I suspect she'll be killed by tomorrow, and that's only if she makes it through the night."

Tears streamed down her bloodied and bruised face, "Hurry up, Natsu…"

**OOO**

The rescue team had searched countless mansions and estates for three days, without any luck. They had only one day left and this meant Natsu was permanently on the verge of snapping. His realization that he loved Lucy only made things worse. His thoughts dwelled on memories of her, making every passing minute more painful than the last. Even Happy could not cheer him up.

His behaviour changed slightly as they entered what felt like the fiftieth estate. The host was fervently denying any connection to his uncle's lost pendant, but Natsu did not even hear him. He smelled something old, something dark. He started moving down a staircase in a trance, followed closely by Gajeel, who was acting just as odd.

"No, no, no, no! You can't go down there!" the man said, his voice getting higher and squeakier, "That's a private area!"

Levy surprised everyone by walking straight up to him, pulling him down by his ear and whispering menacingly, "I know you have it, so it's no use lying. You see this pen? If you don't take us to it right now, I'll stick it where the sun doesn't shine!"

"I see Gajeel's habits have started rubbing off on Levy," Gray whispered to Erza.

The man argued no further, and immediately took them to a underground vault, throwing scared glances at the two dragon slayers, who were already there, staring at it.

The rest of the day was spent in a strategy meeting in an inn on the far side of town. A storm had struck earlier that day, and they did not fancy going back to their forest camp. Halfway through the meeting, Juvia arrived, immediately making her way over to Gray.

"Juvia has heard what happened to Lucy-san. Juvia heard about your mission and was too worried about Gray-sama to stay away."

Gray stared at Juvia and a bright gleam came into his eyes.

"Gray-sama is staring so passionately at Juvia. Juvia's heart is fluttering!"

"That's it!" Gray said, "Juvia, you arrived just on time. You're perfect for the plan I have in mind!"

Juvia's eyes almost popped out of her head with glee, because her 'Gray-sama' said that she's perfect. He went on to explain the plan. He would fake the pendant with Levy's help and transform Juvia into a clone of Natsu using his ice magic. Her body was perfectly compatible with his magic and as the mage had not seen her yet, he would not suspect her. Levy could also write ruins to trap the mage once he takes hold of the fake pendant. They could then extract information on Lucy from him.

"How can we be sure Juvia hasn't been noticed?" Erza asked.

Juvia recovered from her vivid daydream for a moment, "Juvia can sense enemies when it rains, no one followed me here, and no one is watching us at this moment. I will also be able to make sure we are alone when Levy-san writes the ruins."

Everyone looked impressed and there hopes were pushed up further, when Cana contacted them through the lacrima.

"Hi, everyone! I'm sorry it took some time, but I was able to track down Lucy's location with my cards. It seems some enchantment was placed to block magical interference, but I got around it," she held up a card with Lucy's face, "I still have her card from the S class exam. I thought the seven year gap removed its power, but it still works!"

Natsu was smiling for the first time in days. Lucy was in the hills north of the forest. They were going to save her while Juvia and Levy captured the mage. The pain that had been ravishing his heart for the last couple of days subsided and was replaced by determination.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:  
This is the penultimate chapter, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 7**

The fifth day of Lucy's capture was the worst day of her life. The regular meals that had kept her alive through days of torture stopped coming. She had no water and her cell was freezing. She had made it through the night by sheer willpower alone, thinking of her friends that were desperately trying to save her, thinking of Natsu and the words she had left unsaid.

When she was wrenched from her cell, she knew it would be the last time. If she was not saved, her body would give out, no matter how hard her mind fought to keep it alive. She did not even hear the whispered order from the dark mage to her torturer as the former left.

"You have permission for an extended session today, but keep her alive. I want to finish her off with the pendant when I get back. Imagine the look on the Salamander's face when he sees her body, killed with the power of the pendant he gave up to save her. And do NOT let the master know yet, if something happens and I cannot secure the pendant, we'll be dead in an instant."

**OOO**

Juvia stood in a clearing in the forest, a perfect likeness of Natsu. All preparations were complete and she did not get any indication that their plan was compromised. Levy was standing by to subdue the dark mage in case her ruins and Juvia's waterlock proved ineffective. Juvia stiffened very slightly, as she felt the mage enter her range of detection, and a few moments later she could see him approaching.

"Salamander, Natsu Dragneel. Have you brought what I asked for?"

Juvia nodded, scowling just like she saw the dragon slayer do countless times, and held the fake her master craftsman 'Gray-sama' had made. She saw an evil and greedy glint in the man's eyes as he saw the pendant, obviously not realizing that it's fake.

"_Just five more steps and you're in Juvia's grasp,_" she thought, struggling not to smirk and give away the trap, "_four steps… three… two… one…!_"

The whole area was illuminated as he activated Levy's ruins and they rushed up to the sky, trapping him. He sent energy bolts at it, trying to break through by force and he very nearly did before Levy and Juvia stopped him. Levy was not skilled enough to stop him from attacking the barrier, but she ensured her and Juvia's attacks would go through.

"Solid script, Iron!" Levy shouted, running from her hiding spot and smacking him on the head with the rod as hard as she could.

"Waterlock!" Juvia shouted with an upraised arm to cast the magic.

He struggled at first, but sagged moments later as her magic drained him of energy. She released the magic before he could drown, but she dropped him to the ground violently, ensuring that he would not get up for a while.

Juvia and Levy looked at each other and smiled. Their part in the plan went better than anyone dared to hope. Now it was up to Natsu and the others to get Lucy back.

**OOO**

A ruin popped up in front of Natsu and the others, informing them that the trap was sprung. They set off with a flash, running to where Lucy was. They did not have a clear idea of what they were going to face, but they were willing to risk everything to get their comrade back. They kept in close formation of teams of two or three. Wendy and Charle were with Erza, Gajeel and Lily was with Gray and Happy was with Natsu. Having a dragonslayer in each team ensured that they would find their way even when the different teams split apart.

A dark hole was spotted in the side of a steep hillside and they turned towards it instinctively. Amazingly, the entrance was unguarded and they slipped inside stealthily. From there it got harder, there were multiple paths leading from the entrance, none indicating that Lucy was moved through them.

"This way, Happy!" Natsu said, taking a path leading left.

"Tsk, and there goes Ash-For-Brains, running off without thinking," Gray said, although he had a small smile on his face.

The other two groups chose their paths and set off swiftly, eager to find Lucy and get her away from this dark hellhole. Within seconds, they made contact with enemy mages. They were weak, but they blocked the passages efficiently.

"Heaven's Wheel, Blumenblatt!" Erza shouted, donning her signature armor and taking out most of the opposition in one blow.

"Go left up front!" Charle shouted, flying ahead.

Wendy enchanted her and Erza's bodies so they would run faster and they followed Charle, understanding the exceed had a premonition. Gray and Gajeel found a series of cells in the passage they were in. Gajeel noticed Lucy's scent in one of them and started chowing away at the iron door while Gray kept the guards at bay.

"Ice make, Hammer!" he shouted, and knock them unconscious one by one.

"Damn it! She's not here!" Gajeel said.

"Let's get going then, she must be close!" Gray said, visibly frustrated.

Natsu and Happy heard the blows and shouts echoing through the building, but he was not fazed. It just meant that the others were beating up the Grimoire lackeys. However, in the next moment, he heard something that chilled his fiery blood.

A high pitched scream filled his ears and he stopped dead in his tracks. He heard it again, and again. It was Lucy, and she was in agony.

"_NO! LUCY!_" Natsu felt his rage spin out of control and the firestorm took over, causing flames to erupt all over his body.

"Happy!" Natsu growled, already showing the scaly appearance that he got when he unleashed his full power.

"Aye! Max speed!" Happy grabbed Natsu and flew toward the wall where the screams came from.

"Wing slash of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu shouted, breaking the wall into a thousand pieces and ripping it backwards into the passage.

The torturer fell backwards in shock and terror, dropping the white hot iron that he was about to use to brand a Grimoire Heart sign onto the Celestial Mage strapped to the table. He recovered as Natsu stepped into the room, slashed Lucy's restraints with a dagger, and held her in front of him as a shield, with the dagger pressed against her throat.

"O-one step closer, dragon slayer, and she gets it!" he said, trying to sound menacing.

Natsu was beside himself with anger and he spoke uncharacteristically softly, "Move away, trash, unless you want to die a horrible death."

Natsu meant every word. Lucy's body was covered in whip marks, knife wounds and bruises. She was broken. He would not let anyone get away with doing that to his soul mate. He saw her lift her head ever so slightly, wincing in pain, before making eye contact with him. Her eyes, which looked dead a moment ago suddenly had a small sparkle, a look of relief spread through her features and her lip was trembling.

"Natsu… save me…"

Her eyes closed and she went limp.

In a split second Natsu had jumped forward and had Lucy in his arms. He instinctively knew the one he claimed as his soul mate would be immune to his fire, so he growled and released his power in a flaming tornado that swept through the room.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art, Crimson Exploding Blade!"

The torturer was blasted back through a wall and the roof exploded upwards, removing an entire section of the hill. The mushroom cloud that went up that day was visible for many miles and people in Marigold Town had stopped dead in their tracks to stare at its enormity. Natsu, with Lucy in his arms, and Happy were all shielded by his magic, letting the rubble fall harmlessly around them as the structure caved and crumbled.

As the smoke cleared, Natsu kneeled and set Lucy down carefully. He stroked her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, the most beautiful smile Natsu had ever seen.

"N-Natsu…?" she said softly.

"I'm here now, Luce. You're going to be alright. I won't ever let that happen to you again, I swear on my life!" Natsu was close to tears.

"I know, " she said, "thank you."

"Happy? Get Wendy please!" Natsu pleaded.

"Aye, sir!" He said as he sped off.

Lucy tried to lift her hands to Natsu's face, but she was too weak and they fell back, just to be caught by Natsu, who immediately held them against his cheeks. He leaned in closer, realizing that she still had something to say.

"I love you, Natsu!"

The words rang through his head, filling him up with love's flame. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, he wanted her to feel how he felt. He wanted to pour all of his love into her heart, but he settled for four words that he hoped would tell the story for him.

"I love you too."

And then he kissed her, embracing her as hard as he could without hurting her. She responded similarly, letting out a short laugh of pure joy as she pulled back to breathe. They just smiled at each other, their eyes saying everything that had to be said. At that moment, their world was finally perfect.


	8. Chapter 8 - Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters – thank Mr Mashima for that**

**Chapter 8 – Epilogue**

Charle, Wendy and Erza burst through an opening in the rubble that partially blocked the entrance to the room where Charle saw Natsu and Lucy in her premonition. Wendy started moving towards the battered Lucy, when she stopped suddenly, her mouth hanging wide open. Behind her, Erza and Charle had the same expressions. Natsu and Lucy were embracing softly, sharing a tender kiss. A few moments later, Happy, Lily, Gray and Gajeel came running in, just in time to see Natsu and Lucy break apart and smile at each other, blissfully unaware of the stares they were receiving.

"They lllllllllike each other…" Happy said, characteristically spoiling the moment.

"Uhm, Natsu-san, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked tentatively.

They looked towards the stunned group of their comrades.

"What are you all staring at?" Natsu asked, then turned to the sky dragon slayer, "Wendy, come quick! Lucy needs your help."

Lucy was indeed getting very pale again, the elation from the rescue and Natsu's kiss was wearing off, leaving her close to the edge of consciousness.

"Of course!" She yelped, running forward with Charle by her side feeling unnecessarily guilty that she did not attend to Lucy right away.

"Get off Lucy, Natsu!" Erza commanded, unceremoniously kicking Natsu off to the side, "This is not the time to be all lovey-dovey, Wendy needs space to do her job effectively."

"Ha! Serves you right Ash Face!" Gray laughed.

"Ghee hee," Gajeel smirked.

"Was it necessary to kick me that hard?" Natsu asked very softly, while Gray kept sniggering.

Erza turned toward Natsu with a steely look in her eye, "Did you say something?"

All the guys cowered at the aura she was giving off.

"N-No!" Natsu squeaked, a totally different man than the one who saved Lucy.

Everyone smiled as they heard a sound sweet as bell and soft as a whisper. Lucy was giggling, clutching her ribs as she did. It was painful, yes, but the joy at having her friends back was overwhelming. She already looked much, much better, thanks to Wendy's skill. It took a while longer for the girl to finish healing as much of Lucy as she could handle in one day. When she was done, Lucy could sit up on her own. Gajeel walked forward and handed over Lucy's keys and whip.

"Found that on the way here," he said and shrugged off her fervent ' Thank you's '.

At once Virgo and Loke appeared and started apologising for not being able to rescue her. She ordered them to not feel guilty, there was no way they could break the magic barrier on their own. It had only dissipated when Natsu caused the huge explosion that shredded an entire section of the compound and the hill. She looked at all the faces staring down at her.

"Thank you. All of you," she said with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, "you saved me once again. I am so glad I am part of this family! Let's go home, let's go back to Fairy Tail!"

On cue, Natsu walked forward and lifted her into his arms.

**OOO**

Needless to say, they were almost run over with concerned mages as they got back to the guild.

"Stay back you fools, you'll hurt Lucy!" Erza shouted, causing them all to stop in their tracks.

"As if they could," Natsu said loudly, "I'll take out anyone who gets too close to my Lucy! You got that you perverts? Lucy is mine, now."

At first they looked shocked, then sly.

"It's about time!" someone said.

"Go on then, give her a kiss, Natsu!" another person joked.

Lucy, still in his arms was blushing severely. Natsu smirked, then drew himself up proudly and lowered his lips onto Lucy's, giving her a fiery kiss. Literally. His whole body had flamed up without affecting the girl in his arms. When the guild saw this, they broke into applause. Mira was standing behind the counter with a huge grin on her face, always the hopeless romantic.

A few other strange things happened at the same time. Gajeel and Levy, who had been walking close to each other since Marigold Town were avoiding each other's gazes, both blushing. Juvia, who was watching the scene, replacing Lucy and Natsu with herself and Gray in her mind, was shocked out of her daydream by a hand taking hold of her own. Gray was smiling at her and she could barely contain her glee. Happy was offering Charle a fish, and for the first time ever, she accepted.

Before their display of affection infected the rest of the guild, Natsu and Lucy broke apart. Lucy was hiding her embarrassed smile in Natsu's neck, but Natsu stood very tall.

"We have to celebrate Lucy's homecoming. Let's party!" Master Makarov shouted.

"Who wants to fight me? I'm all fired up!" Natsu shouted, putting Lucy down at a table and diving into the crowd.

A full scale Fairy Tail party was launched within seconds. Everyone drank, sang, danced, fought and laughed. In Lucy's opinion, it was the best party they ever held. Natsu would run to her in between fights to pop a kiss on her cheek, before storming away to beat up anyone who laughed at it. After a few hours, as the party started to slow down, he came to her again.

"Let's go home, Lucy," he said, picking up the sleeping Happy from Lucy's lap.

"I don't want to be alone, Natsu," Lucy said, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"No," he said, causing her smile to falter.

He put his free hand on her heart, smiling at her.

"I'll stay with you forever, Lucy."


End file.
